What is sound? Sound is what is heard when particles or molecules in a medium are forced to move or vibrate. This may be achieved by actually hitting something or things colliding, but how does sound travel within a medium? Sound is capable of traveling through all forms of matter whether that is a solid, liquid, gas, and even plasma. In order to elaborate on that we must first elaborate on sound, what it is, and how it is capable of moving or traveling. Due to the fact that molecules are needed for sound to travel, sound cannot travel through a vacuum nor can it travel in space.
Sound Wave
When broken down into a more simple form sound is but a wave. Waves are vibrations that exist in both time and space. Waves must also be able to move, exist within a certain amount of time, and have a repetitive motion, also known as a simple harmonic motion. Sound is not the only thing waves are the bases for. Light is a wave too. In fact, cell phones are using both sound waves and light waves. Sound waves that are emitted from the vibrations of vocal cords are transferred into light waves once received through the phone, which then goes through the possess of cell phone tower hopping, and is then sent to the other person and transferred back into sound waves that can be received. Matter is not being transferred with the wave, energyis. There are two different waves: longitudinal and transverse. Sound waves are longitudinal and light waves are transverse.
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Traveling Sound
Sound is received or heard when an object vibrates. Once that object begins to vibrate it collides with the molecules around it, whether that be the molecules in the air, water, or the ones within a solid piece of matter, which in turn bounces off the molecules beside it, that also bounce off the molecules beside it, and so on until it appears to be a wave. This is where the sound wave, also known as longitudinal waves, appears. This process would be better explained with the idea of a domino effect. When you speak your voice hits a domino (molecule) which immediately hits the next one and so on. While sound is traveling it can change direction, weaken, or be sent back. The temperature around or of the medium can determine the speed of sound.
The obstacles in the way of the sound wave or around it can determine the direction or how weak it is. A sound wave can also split into different directions. Whether or not the medium is moving, wind, can determine how far sound is carried, and the overall mediums resistance, also known as viscosity, towards sound can play a part. Gases and liquids viscosity toward sound are highly insignificant, because they are not dense enough unlike a solid. Although it doesn’t seem like it, Sound is just another form of energy, therefore sound cannot create or destroyed but distributed from one form to another. When a sound wave is traveling through air or any other try of gas, the sound intensity of it can be either constructive or destructive. A sound wave that connects with another sound wave that is in phase with it will cause the two waves to grow, or amplify. This means that the sound that is received is louder. If a sound wave connects with another wave that are exactly out of phase with one another cause the two waves to cancel out each other. This method is used on sound proof head phones.
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Sound can also be explained as a mechanical wave, a disturbance in a medium of pressure. Because of sound's wave like motion, there are times when particles are pushed together and drawn apart. These times are referred to as compression and rarefaction. When there is a time of compression in a sound wave, there is a moment of high air pressure, the molecules in the medium are closer together. When there is rarefaction within a sound wave, there is a region with the sound wave that has low air pressure compared to the air originally around it, or the molecules in the medium have spread apart once more. Compression and rarefaction happen constantly and continue until the sound wave weakens, is disturbed, or stopped. An example of compression and rarefaction that can be related to a sound wave would be a slinky tumbling down a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, when it is motionless, the slinky would be described as being compressed. Once it starts to move down the stairs, its wiring spreads apart, rarefaction, and compresses again on the next step. As it continues down the stairs, the slinky will have compression at each step, gone back to the process of rarefaction as it moves to the next step, and have compression once more. In this example the slinky would be the particles within any given medium. The medium itself determines how fast or slow rarefaction and compression are and thus how fast or slow sound travels through a solid, liquid, or gas. [1][2][3][4][5]
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Sound Traveling Through Solids
Perhaps Solids are a simpler form of matter to begin with. It is a well-known fact that a solid is made up of closely compact particles or molecules. Since the particles within a solid are so closely compact sound travels faster through it compared to liquids or gases. This is because a solid is in a fixed shape and when forced to vibrate, which is what sound makes a medium do, the sound is quickly sent through or across it. The closer the molecules the faster sound can travel through. Although sound does travel faster through a solid, sound is not received very clearly, if not at all, through it, unless an ear is placed upon it. This is because solids are the densest material for a wave of any kind to go through. Although depending on the thickness of the walls, the vibrations could still be felt.[6][7][8]
Sound Traveling Through Gases
In a gaseous state of matter, the molecules are farther apart than they are in a solid or liquid. Once a molecule is sent on a vibrating frenzy it must travel a distance before it can hit another molecule. Sound can travel approximately three hundred thirty to three hundred forty meters per second through air; in other words sound can travel three football fields in one second. This is considered to be the slowest out of solids and liquids in terms of how fast sound can travel. Sound is received more clearly than it would be in a solid or liquid because the molecules have more time to create waves and vibrate. Most, if not all, of sound that is perceived or heard is received once it has traveled through the air. When referring to compression and rarefaction air is taken more into consideration. Sound waves cannot be fully produced while in a compacted form such as a solid or liquid.[9][10][11]
When speaking of liquids and how sound is capable of traveling through you have to consider and remember the molecule make up of a liquid. Yes the molecules are compact, but it does not have a definite shape. Any of the sound energy that is being produced is being used to move the liquid around. This can be visibly be seen and explained if you think of a speaker at the bottom of a bath tub that is half way full of water. You can see the rippling of the water as the speaker emits sound. You can also hear some of the sound. It is because the water is not in a state of matter. It too easily moves. The molecules can slip past one another. Because some of sounds energy is wasted, it does not move as fast as it would if it were in a solid.[12][13][14]
Sound Traveling Through Plasma
In the end as long as it has molecules within it, which is what everything if not most have, sound will travel through it. With that being said, on a more complex not there is plasma. Some people do not think of plasma as a state of matter, but it is. Plasma is the fourth and final state of matter. In order for plasma to become plasma it must first exist as a gas. This gas must be heated so much to the point where the atom’s electrons, which exist within the atoms, are knocked out. Once this happens the gas is said to be ionized. If there are enough ionized atoms, the atom is said to be plasma. What must be remembered is plasma is just an overheated gas with an electron based charge. Sound waves are capable of traveling through plasmas just as they are by traveling through a gas. There are full compressions and rarefactions within plasma. Sound should be able to travel the same if not slower in plasma. A well know plasma and often over looked plasma is lightening. [15]
No Medium No Sound
Mediums are needed for sound to be able to exist, which is why sound is unable to be heard or to travel in space. There are no particles to push like a domino, thus nothing to travel through. When there is not medium there is not sound.
Table of Contents
Sound
What is sound? Sound is what is heard when particles or molecules in a medium are forced to move or vibrate. This may be achieved by actually hitting something or things colliding, but how does sound travel within a medium? Sound is capable of traveling through all forms of matter whether that is a solid, liquid, gas, and even plasma. In order to elaborate on that we must first elaborate on sound, what it is, and how it is capable of moving or traveling. Due to the fact that molecules are needed for sound to travel, sound cannot travel through a vacuum nor can it travel in space.
Sound Wave
When broken down into a more simple form sound is but a wave. Waves are vibrations that exist in both time and space. Waves must also be able to move, exist within a certain amount of time, and have a repetitive motion, also known as a simple harmonic motion. Sound is not the only thing waves are the bases for. Light is a wave too. In fact, cell phones are using both sound waves and light waves. Sound waves that are emitted from the vibrations of vocal cords are transferred into light waves once received through the phone, which then goes through the possess of cell phone tower hopping, and is then sent to the other person and transferred back into sound waves that can be received. Matter is not being transferred with the wave, energyis. There are two different waves: longitudinal and transverse. Sound waves are longitudinal and light waves are transverse.
Traveling Sound
Sound is received or heard when an object vibrates. Once that object begins to vibrate it collides with the molecules around it, whether that be the molecules in the air, water, or the ones within a solid piece of matter, which in turn bounces off the molecules beside it, that also bounce off the molecules beside it, and so on until it appears to be a wave. This is where the sound wave, also known as longitudinal waves, appears. This process would be better explained with the idea of a domino effect. When you speak your voice hits a domino (molecule) which immediately hits the next one and so on. While sound is traveling it can change direction, weaken, or be sent back. The temperature around or of the medium can determine the speed of sound.
The obstacles in the way of the sound wave or around it can determine the direction or how weak it is. A sound wave can also split into different directions. Whether or not the medium is moving, wind, can determine how far sound is carried, and the overall mediums resistance, also known as viscosity, towards sound can play a part. Gases and liquids viscosity toward sound are highly insignificant, because they are not dense enough unlike a solid. Although it doesn’t seem like it, Sound is just another form of energy, therefore sound cannot create or destroyed but distributed from one form to another. When a sound wave is traveling through air or any other try of gas, the sound intensity of it can be either constructive or destructive. A sound wave that connects with another sound wave that is in phase with it will cause the two waves to grow, or amplify. This means that the sound that is received is louder. If a sound wave connects with another wave that are exactly out of phase with one another cause the two waves to cancel out each other. This method is used on sound proof head phones.
Sound can also be explained as a mechanical wave, a disturbance in a medium of pressure. Because of sound's wave like motion, there are times when particles are pushed together and drawn apart. These times are referred to as compression and rarefaction. When there is a time of compression in a sound wave, there is a moment of high air pressure, the molecules in the medium are closer together. When there is rarefaction within a sound wave, there is a region with the sound wave that has low air pressure compared to the air originally around it, or the molecules in the medium have spread apart once more. Compression and rarefaction happen constantly and continue until the sound wave weakens, is disturbed, or stopped. An example of compression and rarefaction that can be related to a sound wave would be a slinky tumbling down a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, when it is motionless, the slinky would be described as being compressed. Once it starts to move down the stairs, its wiring spreads apart, rarefaction, and compresses again on the next step. As it continues down the stairs, the slinky will have compression at each step, gone back to the process of rarefaction as it moves to the next step, and have compression once more. In this example the slinky would be the particles within any given medium. The medium itself determines how fast or slow rarefaction and compression are and thus how fast or slow sound travels through a solid, liquid, or gas. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
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Sound Traveling Through Solids
Perhaps Solids are a simpler form of matter to begin with. It is a well-known fact that a solid is made up of closely compact particles or molecules. Since the particles within a solid are so closely compact sound travels faster through it compared to liquids or gases. This is because a solid is in a fixed shape and when forced to vibrate, which is what sound makes a medium do, the sound is quickly sent through or across it. The closer the molecules the faster sound can travel through. Although sound does travel faster through a solid, sound is not received very clearly, if not at all, through it, unless an ear is placed upon it. This is because solids are the densest material for a wave of any kind to go through. Although depending on the thickness of the walls, the vibrations could still be felt. [6] [7] [8]
Sound Traveling Through Gases
In a gaseous state of matter, the molecules are farther apart than they are in a solid or liquid. Once a molecule is sent on a vibrating frenzy it must travel a distance before it can hit another molecule. Sound can travel approximately three hundred thirty to three hundred forty meters per second through air; in other words sound can travel three football fields in one second. This is considered to be the slowest out of solids and liquids in terms of how fast sound can travel. Sound is received more clearly than it would be in a solid or liquid because the molecules have more time to create waves and vibrate. Most, if not all, of sound that is perceived or heard is received once it has traveled through the air. When referring to compression and rarefaction air is taken more into consideration. Sound waves cannot be fully produced while in a compacted form such as a solid or liquid. [9] [10] [11]
Sound: How it travels through different mediums on Prezi
Sound Traveling Through Liquids
When speaking of liquids and how sound is capable of traveling through you have to consider and remember the molecule make up of a liquid. Yes the molecules are compact, but it does not have a definite shape. Any of the sound energy that is being produced is being used to move the liquid around. This can be visibly be seen and explained if you think of a speaker at the bottom of a bath tub that is half way full of water. You can see the rippling of the water as the speaker emits sound. You can also hear some of the sound. It is because the water is not in a state of matter. It too easily moves. The molecules can slip past one another. Because some of sounds energy is wasted, it does not move as fast as it would if it were in a solid. [12] [13] [14]
Sound Traveling Through Plasma
In the end as long as it has molecules within it, which is what everything if not most have, sound will travel through it. With that being said, on a more complex not there is plasma. Some people do not think of plasma as a state of matter, but it is. Plasma is the fourth and final state of matter. In order for plasma to become plasma it must first exist as a gas. This gas must be heated so much to the point where the atom’s electrons, which exist within the atoms, are knocked out. Once this happens the gas is said to be ionized. If there are enough ionized atoms, the atom is said to be plasma. What must be remembered is plasma is just an overheated gas with an electron based charge. Sound waves are capable of traveling through plasmas just as they are by traveling through a gas. There are full compressions and rarefactions within plasma. Sound should be able to travel the same if not slower in plasma. A well know plasma and often over looked plasma is lightening. [15]
No Medium No Sound
Mediums are needed for sound to be able to exist, which is why sound is unable to be heard or to travel in space. There are no particles to push like a domino, thus nothing to travel through. When there is not medium there is not sound.
Cast of References in Order of Appearance